Brussels, April 25, 2026 EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner has called for accelerated reforms to the bloc's asylum policies, citing record-high deportation rates in 2025 but insisting current measures remain insufficient. In 2025, 28% of migrants required to leave the EU were successfully returned to their home countries, marking the highest deportation rate in a decade, according to verified statistics corroborated by three sources. Despite this progress, Brunner emphasized the need for stricter rules and better cooperation among member states.
Record Deportations Still Fall Short
More than 491,000 individuals were ordered to leave the EU last year, with approximately 135,000 actually deported. Brunner attributed the increase to coordinated efforts by member states, improved stability in some origin countries, and enhanced data-sharing systems.
"Das ist der bisher höchste Wert in diesem Jahrzehnt," sagte Brunner der "Welt am Sonntag." ("This is the highest figure so far this decade," Brunner told *Welt am Sonntag*.)
However, he stressed that the numbers remain unsatisfactory. "Trotzdem kann uns die höhere Zahl von Rückführungen im vergangenen Jahr nicht zufriedenstellen," said Brunner. ("Nevertheless, the higher number of deportations last year cannot satisfy us.")